Erste Group Bank Expects Stronger Earnings for Astrazeneca

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised AstraZeneca’s FY2026 EPS forecast to $10.17 from $10.14, well above the $9.34 consensus estimate, and projected FY2027 EPS of $11.44.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 14 Buy ratings, two Holds and one Sell, resulting in a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $206.67 price target.
• AstraZeneca’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations on earnings, reporting $2.63 EPS versus the $2.50 consensus, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion.

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank increased their FY2026 earnings estimates for Astrazeneca in a research note issued on Tuesday, September 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $10.17 for the year, up from their prior forecast of $10.14. The consensus estimate for Astrazeneca's current full-year earnings is $9.34 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Astrazeneca's FY2027 earnings at $11.44 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, HSBC lowered Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $159.97 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $182.16. Astrazeneca has a 1 year low of $145.79 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The company has a market capitalization of $248.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.25.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.17 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrazeneca

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Amundi boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 146,574.4% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 15,386,149 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,034,456,000 after purchasing an additional 15,375,659 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 889.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company's stock worth $2,319,947,000 after purchasing an additional 10,742,268 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 106,772.0% in the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,560,419,000 after buying an additional 8,047,406 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 208.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,048,417,000 after buying an additional 7,021,126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,202,714,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its principal therapeutic areas include oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, respiratory and immunology conditions, and rare diseases.

The company's portfolio includes medicines such as Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza for cancer; Farxiga for cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic conditions; Fasenra for severe asthma; and Symbicort for respiratory disease.

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